2025-26 Global Change Research Fellow

PhD Student, College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, Auburn University
Advisor: Dr. Chris Anderson

About You

What do you study?
I study coastal wetlands, which have been found to be some of the most vulnerable systems to global change, and their ecology. Overall, my dissertation work will quantify ecosystem services, including changes in biodiversity, nutrient dynamics, productivity, from a variety of different wetland complexes along the Gulf Coast and at multiple landscape scales. My research examines how different ecosystems and forest communities function and how they may change over time, particularly in response to environmental pressures such as sea-level rise and changes in hydrologic alterations by examining changes in nutrients, flora communities, forest structure, plant physiology, and soils changes across environmental gradients. 

What influenced you to go into this field of study?
My initial interest came from my childhood, when I spent a lot of my time outside running around in the woods, catching frogs, or fishing in my local ponds and lakes. This interest was reinforced during my undergraduate studies, particularly in my ecology lab courses, where I was exposed to how complex and dynamic ecosystems can be.   

What do you think is the most pressing issue related to global change?
The changes in precipitation variability and how it will affect water allocation. As global change intensifies, droughts, changing precipitation patterns, and increasing demand for freshwater have significant stress on community’s freshwater resources. 

About Your Research

What results are you finding?
I have not yet begun collecting data for my dissertation. However, during my master’s research we identified significant vulnerabilities within the Mobile–Tensaw River Delta, including a potential for large scale expansion of “ghost forests” which are the dieback of forested systems due to salinization or storm related disturbance such as hurricane winds. 

Who will benefit from your research?
Primarily land managers working within coastal estuaries, whether they are state-owned or federal. Providing information on landscape scale of ecological dynamics can aid land managers with additional information and lead to more effective management and conservation applications such as locations for wetland restoration and assisted migration for coastal forests. But also, for people that recreate within these coastal systems. For example, if stakeholders are interested in a particular species of fish that corresponds with the head of tide, my research could benefit them to locate a desired habitat for their target species. 

How would you describe your research to a 3rd grader?
I go into the woods and study how healthy the trees and plants are in different places to understand how nature is changing.

About Your Global Change Research Fellow Experience

How do you expect the SE CASC Global Change Research Fellows Program to impact you and your work?
The GCRF has integrated me into different communities across a variety of institutions and disciplines. Working through activities, such as the immersion and our small group project has given me the opportunity to interact with other early-career scientists who do exciting research, creating friendships, and different perspectives on how to examine natural systems.   

What advice would you give to a student that is interested in getting involved in your field?
Get involved as much as possible, volunteer and work in different disciplines, systems, and methods to understand what type of work you excites you the most. 

What has been the most rewarding part or your favorite part of being a SE CASC Global Change Research Fellow?
The small team project. Having an opportunity to work alongside others in a project that will provide deliverables to any landowner in the Southeastern U.S. who are actively managing the spread of invasive species. This work focuses on developing resources through collective research that synthesize various projects into actionable guidance in a rapidly changing environment to better respond to invasive species on their properties. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Yes, go outside!

Learn more about the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center’s Global Change Research Fellows program.

This post was originally published in SE CASC.